Feudal Fairy Tale
by Nekonance
Summary: When faced with having to tell a bedtime story out of the blue, Sango faces the challenge of retelling the story of a monk, kitsune, hanyou, taji-ya, and high school girl to her new family...


Bedtime story! ^.^ Sorry about the stupid lack of description and such; It's not a great day for writing in my point of view, so I got kinda weird on it…but its cute, I hope! =3 

-Nekonance

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A Feudal Fairy Tale 

It was a cool summer's night; the type that bit at a camper's hands and faces as they tried to resist the urge to leave for their car, the type where anyone outside would not be found without a large multitude of blankets and hot tea. But for those inside, it was pure comfort to anyone with a good heater...

"That's not fair!"

With a sigh, the woman repeated her words, hands firmly placed on both hips as the two twins continued to chorus in protest against their unfair bedtime hours. Both pairs of bright violet eyes were sulky, and gazing back at their irritated mother in a furious way-personally, they found it more or less as child abuse. The boy, so fondly dubbed 'Kohaku', spoke up first, crossing small arms over his blue pajama-ed chest. "Why should we?" Beside him, Saiya nodded her agreement. Besides wearing the same expression as her brother, the younger girl's lower lip jutted out just slightly. The answering voice was a low growl as their mother managed to grab both of their arms before the twins could even think of escape, and marched them upstairs to bed.

As she was tucking them in, she gave them the familiar inquiry on what they preferred for a bedtime story. Their response was a bored, "Dunno..." After a couple suggestions (all of them being rejected) the further stressed mother dropped to the bedside. She tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind one ear, forehead furrowed thoughtfully, then sighed. "Okay...I have one, you nitpicks..." Though her words were spoken somewhat harsh, they were affectionate, and forced both kid's faces into silent delight, though easily able to tell from all the excited fidgeting the two were doing. A grateful smile quickly creased her expression, and began...

"Once upon a time, there was a girl. She lived an ordinary life-but on her fifteenth birthday, she was called upon by the heavens to assist others in time of need, and accepted. She was flung into a past much like our world today, but so much more beautiful. As she stepped out from the portal from which she came, the girl came across the form of another, a boy, trapped against the trunk of a great tree. His hair was the color of freshly fallen snow, and he had the pointed ears of a dog. Soon after, the girl was captured by the people of the realm..."

The former slayer launched into a detailed description of the adventures that had awaited the young couple, as the children watched with wide amethyst eyes, small hands gripping the covers with furious intent. They looked amazed at their mother's skill in storytelling, and were anxious to hear more. "...but, there was an evil plot against the dog-boy and girl, by the evil wizard Naraku, who had tricked the dog hanyou into going against his other lover, who had left him long ago..but through the plans of this wizard, she was brought back, with nothing more in her thoughts but to get REVENGE on the dog-person for a crime he did not commit..." Sango's voice weaved into a low whisper, enrapturing both Kohaku and Saiya, who were now hanging onto her every word with fascination.

"While searching for the magical jewel, the dog-boy and girl came across a young fox, and a monk, both of whom had been tricked and outwitted by this wizard." She didn't feel the need to correct herself, at that point. Shippou really hadn't wanted revenge on Naraku, except for the need to protect his adoptive mother. And it wasn't even Miroku who had been tricked by Naraku. Not like it mattered. "The monk had a curse placed upon him, which would in time befall bad luck onto all he met. Like the fox orphan. He was cursed with loneliness, for he ran away from his village years ago...they joined with these two people, creating a team. But then they came across a youkai exterminator."

She fought the urge to cry at her next words, which brought back horrible memories that she had pushed out of her mind for a long time. "This exterminator was even lonelier than the fox...she did not know where her brother and father were, and her home had burnt away, and she expected that her family had never escaped from the flames..." A loud whimper interrupted her. Blinking, the slayer glanced over towards the two children, who were trembling slightly. Saiya looked tearful. "We're scared! I thought this was a bedtime story!" she complained, biting her bottom lip. Kohaku nodded vigorously in agreement. They had expected for their mother to comfort them, hold them tight, and apologize, but the answer they recieved was not at all expected. 

"After being turned against her companions by the wizard, she found her brother to be in Naraku's clutches, a mindless slave for the evil that had consumed him..." Continuing, she shuddered slightly, unaware liquid shimmering in her own chocolate brown eyes as she continued the tale in a quieted tone. "But they traveled together, and finally came to defeat the evil that is Naraku. They were badly charred by the entire ordeal, and fled to the world in which the girl came, had children, and adapted to a new life in an unknown time...it was scary. And difficult. But they perservered."

"Especially the tajiya, who knew her brother was finally at peace, and no longer controlled...that is what lulls her to sleep every night. Gazing up at the same stars as we..." she finished softly, brushing the faint traces of tears from her eyes, and looked back to her children with a comforting smile that was obviously forced. Yet, it relieved them. "I'm...sorry. Its just such a sad story..." On the contrary, they didn't look distraught, or depressed. In fact, they had a disturbingly mischevious smile on their childlike faces which Sango didn't trust. Not at all. "Mama..." Kohaku began, a vague grin still tugging at the edges of his mouth, "What was her brother's name?" For a moment, the mother hesitated, feeling her throat tightening at the question. Before she could stop and realize it, she breathed out, "Kohaku..." as though the name would float away on the cold summer breeze if she let it escape.

They both exchanged knowing looks, then escaped from the confines of their bed, leaping to straddle their mother around the neck. "COOL! You're the demon killer, right!? I'm named after a youkai slayer! That's so cool!" Kohaku chirped happily, intoned by his smaller, younger sister. Sango managed a weak grin at their childish enthusiasm. {They're too young too understand...} But despite these thoughts, the former exterminator nodded, before joining them in their roughhousing; she would leave those thoughts for another time, when she cried herself to sleep. For now, she would enjoy what happiness was left in a new life...

Unknown to the trio, from a distance outside the door leading to their bedroom was the figure of someone who was leaning against the door frame. Dressed in worn robes of gray and purple, one hand straddled in purple clutching the form of a long staff, he allowed a small smirk of satisfaction to flicker across the somewhat aged features on his face. "Oh Sango..."

"You haven't changed a bit."


End file.
